Arch bridge



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. ELLIS.

ARCH BRIDGE.

No. 391,463; 4 Patented 001:. 23, 1888.

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(No Model.\

J. B. ELLIS.

ARCH BRIDGE.

Patented Oct. 23, 1888.

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JESSE B. ELLIS, OF GREAT BEND, KANSAS.

ARCH BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,463, dated Gotober 23, 1888.

Application filed April .21, 1888. Serial No. 271,388. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J EssE B. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Great Bend, in the county of Barton and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement 1n Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in bridges; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices,that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a bridge which is adapted to distribute the weight of a moving load equally to all of the supports of the bridge, so as to secure maximum strength with a minimum amount of material.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is partly an elevation and partly a sectional view of a bridge embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view.

A represents the supporting trestles or abutments at the ends of the bridge. B represents -sil1s which are arranged thereon and in a direction parallel with the bridge, said sills being secured firmly against movement in any direction, and being provided on their upper sides with recesses G, the ends of which are inclined inward in opposite directions, so as to form the shoulders D. As here shown, the sills B are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the bridge and at the ends thereof; but any desired number of the sills may be employed,

according to the size and required strength of the bridge.

E represents plates or anchors, which have their ends beveled in opposite directions and are slipped laterally in the recesses C, so as to have their beveled ends in engagement with the beveled shoulders D of the sills, the said plates or anchors being thereby firmly secured against longitudinal movement on the sills. In the upper side of each plate E are made vertical longitudinal recesses F, said recesses being arranged side by side in series, and any desired number of the said series of recesses being provided in the plates E, according to the requirements of the case.

G H represent series of arch-beams, which are curved, as shown in Fig. 1. The beams of each series are arranged side by side, at suitable regular distances apart, and have their ends fitted in the notches F of plates E, and the inner series of arch-beams are arranged under the outer series of arch-beams and concentric therewith, as shown in Fig. 1.

I have herein illustrated only two series of arch-beams on each side of the bridge; but it will be understood that a greater number of the arch-beams may be employed, if desired. Arranged between theopposing inner sides of the arch-beams are blocks or washers I.

K represents a series of bolts,which extend transversely through the arched beams and through the said washers, and thereby serve to secure the washers or blocks firmly between the arch-beams and to secure the latter to gether and brace the same against lateral strain or vibration, as will be readily understood. On the upper side of the upper arch-beam,on each side of the bridge, and at suitable regular distances apart throughout the entire length of the span, are arranged plates L.

M represents suitable supporting rods, which have their upper ends screw-threaded, passed between the sides of the arch-beams, and secured to the plates L by means of nuts N. The lower ends of the said rods are also screw'threaded, and are connected in pairs by means of saddle-plates or yolces O, which are secured to the lower ends of the rods by nuts P. Near the upper end of each rod M, and just above the lowerseries of arch-beams, is a transverse vertical opening,R. Said openings in each pair or series of rods, which are laterally opposite each other, are in alignment, and key-plates S are passed through the said openings, so as to connect the rods together and bear upon the upper sides of the lower series of arch-bars.

T represents a series of sills or cross-beams, which are supported on the saddle-plates O, and arranged between the pairs of depending rods M, which have their lower inner sides engaging vertical notches or grooves II, which are made in opposite sides of the cross-beams T. The notches U in the cross-beams I, and which are engaged by the rods M,prevent the latter from moving laterally, and hence add materially to the stability of the bridge. On the under side of each of the said cross-beams, at the ends thereof, is a wear-plate or key, V, said wear-plates or keys being interposed between the saddle-plates and the cross-beams, so as to prevent said saddle-plates from abrading and wearing the said cross beams. The said cross-beams T are arranged in the same horizontal plane throughout the entire length of the bridge, and on the said cross-beams and on the abutments or trestles at the ends of the bridge are supported the floor-timbers or deck-beams W, which are arranged longitudinally, as shown. Asuitable number of said floor-timbersor deck-beamsisprovided, and the same are arranged at suitable regular distances apart, are kept separated by means of blocks or washers X, which are interposed between them, and bolts Y are then passed transversely through said deck or floor beams, and through the blocks or washers X, and serve to clamp the deck orfloorbeams firmly together.

On the under side of each cross-beam T, at the center of the same, is secured a cap, Z, said caps being formed of wood or metal, as may be preferred, and having their under sides inclining upward in opposite directions from their centers.

vA represents U-shaped bolts, which pass under the plates Z and bear against the sides thereof and of the cross-beams T. The upper ends of the said bolts are arrangedbetween the opposing sides of the deck or floor beams, and yokes or plates B are arranged parallel with said deck or floor beams and between the same, have openings in their ends, through which the upper ends of the bolts A extend, and nuts 0 are screwed to the upper ends of said bolts, and thereby serve to clamp the platesZfirmly to the under side of cross-beams T. The function of the caps Z is to strengthen the beams T, so as to enable the latter to support the weight of the moving load.

The operation of my inventionis as follows: When a load passes over the bridge,its weight is sustained by the cross-beams T, which are in turn supported by the depending rods M, and said rods are supported by the arch-beams. Inasmuch as the upper ends of the rods are secured to plates L, which bear on the upper arch-beams, and inasmuch as the key-plates, which pass through openings in the said rod, bear on the upper sides of the lower archbeams, it follows that the weight of the moving load and of the suspended portion of the bridge is equally distributed throughout all of the archbeams, and thereby maximum strength is obtained for the bridge.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination,in a bridge, of the concentric arch-beams, the vertical rods M, suspended therefrom, said rods having the openings R extending above the lower arch-beams,

the plates L on the upper archbeam, to which the upper ends of the rods M are secured, and the keys or plates S, extending through the openings R in the rods and bearing on the lower arch-beams, the said rod serving to support the weight of the floor or deck of the bridge, substantially as described.

2. The combination,in a bridge, of the sills B, supported on the piers, abutments, or trestles and provided in their upper sides with the recesses O, the plates E, secured in the said recesses and provided with the recesses F, the archbeams having their ends fitted in the recesses F, the rods M, supported by and depending from the arch-beams, the cross-beams T,supported by the said rods, and the deck or floor beams supported on the said cross-beams, substantially as described.

In a bridge, the combination of the crossbeams T, suspended from their ends and supporting the deck or floor, and the caps Z, secured to the under sides of said beams T, at the centers thereof, substantially as described.

l. The combination,in a bridge, of the crossbeams T, suspended from their ends and supporting the deck or floor, the caps Z,arranged under the centers of beams T, and the bolts clamping the said caps to the said beams, substantially as described.

5. The combination,in a bridge, of the crossbeams T, suspended from their ends and supporting the floor or deck, the caps Z,arranged under the centers of said beams, the U shaped bolts embracing said caps and said beams, and the plate or yoke on the upper sides of the beam T, to which the upper ends of the U- shaped bolts are clamped, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a bridge, of the anchor-plates, the concentric arch-beams having their ends secured to the said anchor-plates, the blocks or washers arranged between the opposing sides of the arch-beams, the clamping-bolts extending transversely through the arch-beams and through said blocks or washers, the plates L,supported on the upper arch- 'rio beams, the rods M, depending from the said I plates, said rods having the openings Itabove the lower arch-beams, the key-plates arranged in the said openings and bearing transversely on the upper sides of the lower archbeams, and the cross-beams T, supported by the bars M and serving to support the floor or deck of the bridge, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the arch-beams, the rods ill, depending therefrom, the cross-beams T, arranged between the lower ends of said rods and having notches o'r grooves in their sides to receive said rods, and the saddleplates arranged under the bars T and secured to the lower end of the rods M, substantially as described.

8. The combination,in a bridge, of the archbeams, the bars M, depending therefrom, the In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my cross-beams T, arranged between the lower own I have hereto affixed my signature in pres ends of said rods, the saddle-plates at the enee of two witnesses.

lower ends of the rods supporting the cross- JESSE B. ELLIS. 5 beams, and the wear-plates orkeys interposed v Witnesses:

between the beams T and the saddle-plates, I. H. STETLER,

substantially as described. G. 13. MOORE. 

